So you invite people for dinner....

[Jenise]

....and then you catch a cold. What do you do?

I'm in that spot. No sympathy as I'm not trolling for any, it's a real predicament. I'd consider bailing but this is the day before and Thanksgiving isn't just any dinner--my guests may have turned down other invitations in favor of mine that they can't reconnect with. And I'm not unable to cook--I'll be able to make dinner and by tomorrow I'll hopefully be out of the contagion stage (I woke up with it yesterday morning), but still I obsessed about "what to do" all day yesterday. Didn't even go to the store as planned, hoping to knock it down by babying myself and not going until this morning.

Maybe, my frantic, initial thinking went, if I have enough Contac in me nobody will even notice--after all, none of my guests are frail or afflicted with anything that would make catching a cold a serious matter so far as I know. But that still didn't seem fair, so bummer though it is to have to do it, I emailed everyone this morning and explained that dinner's still on, but there's some risk that they could leave with more than a full tummy. I promised to let the healthy people set the table and to take extra precautions with the food prep, and to not take offense if anyone felt compelled to beg off.

Sure takes all of the zippity out of my doodah, though. I'm extraordinarily tired today, and I can't smell anything and therefore can't taste much. I could grossly over- or under-season everything and not be able to tell the difference.

But what a bummerooni, eh? Not much fun entertaining when you don't even feel like eating what you make.

Oh Jenise...I know you said you weren't looking for sympathy...but I am sending some anyway. What bad timing. I was just thinking about this today...since my whole family, myself included, have terrible colds. I have called my cousin to tell her we will not be going to her house for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, but I thought, wow, I am glad I am not hosting it this year!

Anyway, I think you have done all you can do by telling everyone. This way, they can decide whether they want to risk it or not...LOL! As it is we are all sick because I took my daughter to a birthday party last week, and the hosts sounded like they had pneumonia. I thought it very rude to expose all their guests to the germ right before the holiday.

As far as the food, can you have your husband taste test everything? Or maybe just recruit one of your guests with "good taste" to check for seasoning . I know I haven't been here that long, but from reading your posts, you seem very talented in the food department. Thus, I am sure your dinner will come out fantastic regardless of whether you can't taste/smell properly.

I hope it goes as smoothly as possible and, you are able to enjoy the day a little Jenise...take care.

Sympathy not sought but offered anyway.

The only advice is keep it simple & if it would help, enlist helpers on some of the dull prep (peeling & chopping veg etc.) - but keep your kitchen space to yourself so you don't feel pressured.

As with most gatherings, it's the people we appreciate most and your guests will care more about you than about anything else.

and from what I can tell, your cooking at 70% capacity would walk all over mine at 100%

hope you're feeling better soon

regards

Ian

I sympathize. Edith and I simultaneously had bad colds last week, courtesy of a California strain brought to us by a visiting friend. At least, we finally got over it in time for T-Day.

The main thing is not to shake hands with anyone. Zinc + Vit C lozenges will help speed recovery, but too late for today. Tip a few, though, and you won't feel anything. Good luck. (Oh, yeah...don't forget that powdered chiles have lots of Vit C.)

You know...if I were going to visit at someone's home ..for dinner? And they had a really bad cold? I would really appreciate a phone call and the ability to make a decision.

But if we were good friends with the host / hostess, we'd politely cancel and throw something together at home. And wish our friend a quick recovery

Richard

If this isn't one of your loaves and fishes events (cast of thousands), I'd beg off even at the last minute - friends will understand.

If not, then simplify dinner - a lot - to reduce the work and drink lots of hot ruttered bum - It may not make you any better, but you won't give a s__ about it!

Although I do have memories of attending a dinner once where the hostess overindulged and we had to sit in the dining room listening to the tirade as she drunkenly dropped the roast on the floor (and picked it up) and tore her poor 'date' a new one as if it were his fault.

I wasn't the only one eying the door and gauging whether we could absent ourselves and send a regrets note the next day, hoping she might forget we had ever shown up (don't think she was THAT far gone). Much easier to laugh the next day about her skating around on a floor covered in hot grease.....but I digress....

Hope you feel better!

Hope you're feeling a bit better and that dinner is going well.

I swear by Dayquil for getting through the days and Nyquil to knock me out at night. Afrin all the while so I can breathe...

And that is how I get through a cold.

Feel Better.

B

Jenise,

So I hope it turned out OK for you?

Concerned,

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Oh, you guys thanks, but really, the only thing I deserve any sympathy for was the dismay you have all surely felt when cooking a meal you can neither smell nor taste. When your head's clogged up, you're not cooking with your usual zest or excitement, you're just going through the motions because you're not looking forward to eating what you've made and you know that far earlier than normal you're going to wish everyone would just leave.

But in spite of my malaise, I had a very good time and all the food turned out pretty well judging by the fact that everybody went back for seconds, even the light eaters.

And today, I napped a lot.

[Jenise]

Oh, you guys thanks, but really, I wasn't looking for sympathy about the cold--I have far worse things to complain about than a cold!--it was just the dismay and dread I felt that surely every one of you has felt about having to cook a meal you can neither smell nor taste. And for most of us cooks who love nothing better than a big feast to tackle, it's just punishing when your head's clogged up and you can't feel any of your usual zest or excitement. All the love you normally feel for the work is gone, you're not looking forward to eating what you're making and as soon as the doorbell rings you're going to start wishing everyone would just leave.

Well, it worked out better than that for me. In spite of my malaise, I had a very good time and all the food turned out pretty well judging by the fact that everybody went back for seconds, even the light eaters.

Probably weirdest of all was drinking the wines. An Oregon syrah tasted creamy. A burgundy was tangy. A champagne was tasteless, and a 15.5% Swan Zin was bitter. The only thing that tasted nice was a Renardat Fache Bugey--I really couldn't taste it either, but what it does have is one of the two big flavors that partially gets through to me: sweet. The other, of course, is salt. (Is that old age is going to be like?)

Maybe. Today, I napped a lot.

Jenise, I was thinking about you on Wed and Thurs while doing all of my prep and cooking on aching feet (from being on them too much!). I could only imagine how you felt to do it with a stuffy head to boot. Glad it wasn't as bad as you envisioned. Somehow, having friends over always makes me feel better. Especially when they rave about the food.